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Sudanese bury victims of Darfur violence, death toll at 129

19 January 2021 08:52 (UTC +04:00)

The death toll from tribal clashes between Arabs and non-Arabs in Sudan’s western Darfur region reached around 130 people, including children and women, doctors and an aid worker said Monday, as families began burying their dead, APA reports.

The latest bout of violence in West Darfur province grew out of a fistfight Friday in a camp for displaced people in Genena, the provincial capital, and then escalated, lasting until Sunday.

The clashes, between members of the Arab Rizeigat tribe and the non-Arab Massalit tribe, displaced at least 50,000 people, according to the United Nations.

The doctors’ committee in the province said the clashes killed at least 129 people and wounded 189 others, including newborn babies. Among the dead was a U.S. citizen, Saeed Baraka, from Atlanta, who was visiting family in Darfur.

The committee, which called the violence “unprecedented,” said the casualty toll was likely to increase.

“The scale of the crisis in West Darfur is unimaginable. The transitional government should bear its responsibilities and declare the province a disaster area,” it said.